Weighing scale or the like



Sept. 14 1926. 1,599,529

J. E. HOFFER WEIGHING SCALE OR THE LIKE Filed March 10, 1925 Patented Sept. 14, 1926 UNITED "STATES 1,599,529 PATENT OFFICE.

JAY E. noun, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE TORSION. BALANCE COM- rm, or new man, N. Y., A CORPORATION or new YORK.

WEIGHING SCALE OR THE LIKE.

Application filed March 10, 1925. Serial No. 14,362.

The present invention relates .to weighing scales or balances, and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

The sensitiveness ,of a balance for any given load remaining the same, the rapidity of weighing depends upon the skill of the operator. This is especially true where raidity of weighing without overweight is to e carriedon, for example, where it is undesirable or im racticable to remove from the balance any 0 the material being weighed,

such as light powders and liquids. In weighing out quantities of such materials, it is therefore of greatadvantage if some sort of warning can be given of the approaching of the desired weig t.

According to the present invention, I provide a scale, or an attachment therefor, which will give one or more definite warnings of the approaching of the' desired weight as material is being added to the'balance, and thereby expedite the weighing operation. This I accomplish by providing one or'more movable masses which are adapted to be progressively taken up by the movable beam of the balance, preferably at or near the end of the beam, as it moves toward its position of equipoise during the weighing operation. And as each mass issuccessively taken up by the beam, further movement of the beam toward equipoise will be temporarily arrested, and these relative positions of the beam will be shown by the indicating means of the balance. These masses are released as the end of the beam which supports them again moves to a position below the horizonta l. The invention also contemplates other features of novelty, which will be hereinafter more fully described. I

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown certain preferred embodiments in my invention, Figure-1 is a perspective view of a weighing scale or balance embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the balance, parts being broken away to more clearly show-ithe. present invention. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken ont-helplane ofzthe line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cletail'of a modification of the invention. Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings wherein my invention, by way of illustration, is shown as applied to a torsion balance, let A indicate thebase of the balthe balance beam but (MICE! and B, B a pair of feet or uprights, which rigidly support the middle truss of the balance C, said partsconstituting the balance stand. Surrounding this truss is a thin steel torsion band E, which supports the movable beam of the balance, which beam consists of anupper beam F, a lower beam Gr and the end trusses H and H. The balance beam also supports at its ends the scale pans or plates 1 and I and, at its middle, a poise J, which straddles the upper and lower beams, said poise being provided with an adjustable poise ball 7' and an indicator or pointer j, which is adapted to laterally move in "front of an index K, which is supn. The balance as thus far described, with r or without the addition of further refinements, is the well known torsion balance, extensively used in the arts.

According to the. present invention, a balance as thus described orany other form of balance is provided with means for definitely warning of the approaching oi the desired weightduring' a weighing operation by the provision of means for temporsu'ily arresting" the movement of the beam after it begins tomove toward C(llllllOlSE, upon the addition of material or weights to one of the balance pans to counterbalance the weights or material on the other balance pan. The means which I have provided for accomplishing this, consist of one or more masses 0, O'and 0 which are adapted to be successively taken up and supported by the beam through the medium of a bracket P, or other suitable member, which is preferably carried by an end truss of the movf able beam. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the masses 0, and O are slidably supported upon a. spindle 0 of various diameters, said spindle 0 being carried by the mass 0 which is adapted to rest upon the base of the balance, and when so masses 0, O and O are not supported by are steadied in their resting, the

upright position by the b 'acket arms 79, p, which straddle the spindle which supports the nu The ILQSSQS O, O and O are so relatively the spindle and the and t) movable thereon and with p, p, thatas the end of to which said bracket 1 trom its posit'on below Ll to its lan-iazmtal position, or

position 0 equipoise. the mass 0 will Zirst be ialzeu up by the a 'i p. and it moves ndle o it and talics up the and as the u .ard movcmnet ot' e mass will be talten I the arm ,1) with the o" the mass 0*. This last hen up shortly heroic equipoise. Since the the balance beam,

.7 movement as t c pointer j will or warnin s of to cor mov the approaching s t e erd lat 1 U suece re eased trom the beam is provided with tle means for pro rel airing up mas as the respective end oi the beam moves from its position below the horizontal toward its horizontal position, and for releasing said mas as the end of the beam agaln moves belov. the horizont-a It will be understood, however. that in lieu of the movable mass or cs at one end only of the beam an equivalent mass may he built directly into the scale at said end of the beam. The taking up and releasing of these masses will also serve to dampen the oscillation of the beam,

- and where dash pots such as )l and M are moves from its position below the horizontal to its position of. equipoise.

While I have shown and described certain preferred en'ibodiments of my invention. it will be miderstood that 1 do not wish to be limited to the specific modifications or structural details disclosed, since these may be changed without departing from the spirit ot the invention.

'hat I claim is l. A weighing scale or balance comprisinp a stand, a movable beam, a plurality of movable masses, and means carried by the beam adapted to successively take up the iii-a ses after the beam begins to move toward equipoise during a weighing operation, to definitely warn of the approaching of the beam to equipoise, the last mass adapted to be taken up shortly before the beam comes to eqnipoise.

A weighing scale or balance, comprisi j a stand, a movable beam, masses supported by each arm of the beam when the Learn is substantially in equipoise and free of weights of material to be Weighed, at least one of said masses being movable with respect to the beam, and the movable mass being adapted to be released from the beam as the arm which supports it moves to a position below the horizontal.

21. A weighing scale or balance, comprising a stand, a movable beam, indicating neans comprising a pointer and an index adapted to cooperate with the pointer for indicating when the beam is in e'quipoise, and means adapted to temporarily arrest the movement of the beam at a plurality oi" definite points before the beam comes to equipoise as it moves toward its position of equipoise upon the addition of material or the like to one arm of the beam during a weighing operation.

4:. A weighing scale or balance comprising a stand, a movable beam having arms of equal length, and means to dampen the os ciilation of the beam, comprising a plurality of movable masses cooperating with each arm of the beamand adapted to be sucessively taken up or released by the beam as it moves from a position of unequilil'irium to its position of equipoise and to successively release or takeup said masses as the beam moves from its position of equipoise to a position of unequilibrium.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

JAY E. HOFF'ER. 

